CubaPLUS Magazine

Havana will become next week the world capital of the drums when the theaters open their doors to receive to the best Cuban percussionists and renewed musicians from several countries. 

In a press conference held in the House of Music in Plaza municipality, the outstanding Cuban musician Giraldo Piloto, President of the Havana Rhythm Dance Festival’s Organizing Committee Guillermo Barreto in Memoriam announced that this will be the greater meeting carried out since its foundation and in this opportunity, will be dedicated to Brazil like guest country. 

He spoke thoroughly about the importance of this Festival whose purpose is to strengthen the autochthonous rhythms of the largest island in The Antilles, reason why, besides numerous concerts and outstanding musicians' performances, the event includes percussion and dance masterly classes, as well as three competitions: one of percussion, another of Casino dance and the last one for Rumba dancers. 

The first night of this Festival will be dedicated to Sabian Cymbals company, to the Cubaplus magazine and KoSA Music, Canadian sponsors all of them, and some of the most outstanding Cuban percussionists and special guests will be present in the Mella theater, among them, Giraldo Piloto and his group Klimax, Samuel Formell, Jim Riley (USA); Rodney Barreto, Antonio Sánchez (USA) and Pupy y los que Son Son. 

The second night will be devoted to the guest country, Brazil, with the performance of outstanding musicians coming from this country: Joao Donato, Janis ASiegel, Fabiana Cozza and her group Nanny Assis, as well as other renewed Cuban artists. 

During the week several tributes to outstanding Cuban musicians as Chano Pozo, Tata Güines and Anga were carried out. Likewise, there will be a special tribute to woman with the tribute to the late Merceditas Valdes who was an outstanding Cuban singer; the last day will be celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the orchestra Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco. 

Several Cuban musicians and outstanding specialist, must of them members of the Festival jury, attended to the press conference. The XVI Havana Rhythm Dance Festival will be closed on Sunday March 11 in the Tropical’s Roxy Salon.